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Capitals beat Canadiens 3-2 in shootout

Montreal Canadiens right wing Brendan Gallagher, left, and Washington Capitals defenseman Mike Green fall after they collide battling for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Washington, Friday, Nov. 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

CTV Montreal
Published Friday, November 29, 2013 8:00PM EST

The Montreal Canadiens saw their four game winning streak end Friday as the Washington Capitals outlasted the visitors 3-2 in a shootout settled by MIkhail Grabovski after both teams had scored twice.

Montreal relied on their grizzled old veterans Friday, as the line of Tomas Plekanec, Brian Gionta and Danny Briere provided the team's two goals in regular time.

Briere opened the scoring with his fifth goal of the season, on a wraparound to the right of Braden Holtby at 15:20 of the first period.

Eric Fehr notched the score up for the Capitals after Canadiens’ goaltender Peter Budaj and Alexei Emelin fumbled the puck behind the Habs net, allowing Mikhail Grabovski to toss the puck out in front, Fehr scored his third into the temporarily-vacated net.

Tomas Plekanec restored the Canadiens’ one-goal lead at 6:24 of the second on assists from Brian Gionta and Alexi Emelin.

But the Canadiens were unable to maintain their lead, as Grabovski and Fehr combined for another goal with just over five minutes remaining.

Grabovski slipped a low shot past Budaj after Michael Bournival failed to tie him up in the slot. Fehr and Troy Brouwer got the assists on the game-tying marker.

The Canadiens outshot the Capitals 37-26 through the three periods and the five-minute overtime.

Both teams scored on their first two shootout attempts.

Eric Fehr scored high on Budaj's glove side on the first go and Lars Eller responded in kind, faking a backhand move before going high on Holtby with his forehand.

Alex Ovechkin then scored on a quick wrist shot to the left of Budaj's outstretched glove and Desharnais then imitated Eller's move, but slipped the puck in low.

Budaj stopped Niklas Backstrom and Holtby quelled Alex Galchenyuk's shootout attempt, but Grabovski then went five-hole on a snapshot for the winner and Plekanec was unable to match the marker.